Some Cornerstones in the Development of a Contextual Action Theory of Career and Counselling

In this article we review severalissues that contribute to the contextual actiontheory of career and counselling. This theoryis based on the notion that career isconstructed through the intentionalgoal-directed actions of persons and thatcounselling is a process that involves bothaction and career. The development of thistheory has relied on several criticaldiscussions, including vocation asrelationship, hermeneutics and phenomenology,methodological diversity, interpretation andnarrative, action theory, emotional processes,joint career development projects, thequalitative action-project method, includingthe self-confrontation interview,contextualizing career counselling, socialconstructionism and family projects. Whenconsidered together, these issues contribute toa substantial and integrated view of career andcounselling.     

Meaningful actions and motivated projects in the transition to adulthood: two case illustrations

A framework for understanding career transitions based on the joint processes and goals of those engaged in the transition and significant others in the person’s social network was used to study the transition to adulthood of youth aged 17–19 years and their families. Twenty parent-youth dyads participated in this study in which a transition project was identified and monitored for 6 months. Two cases are used to illustrate the characteristics of the motivated transition project at the levels of meaning, functional processes, and conscious and unconscious behaviour and structural support and resources.     

Interdisciplinarity in vocational guidance: an action theory perspective

In addressing the issue of interdisciplinary research in vocational guidance, twelve propositions important for understanding the vocational guidance process as joint, goal-directed action are presented. They address the encounter between client and counsellor leading to relational ethics, the relevance of everyday action theory and methods for the analysis of goal-directed processes as joint actions, projects, and careers. Research on the school-to-work transition illustrates this conceptualisation and analysis. Links to other disciplines concerned with vocational guidance are identified.